TEXTSORTENMERKMALE UND GRAMMATIKALISIERUNG IN DIACHRONER PERSPEKTIVEText type features and grammaticalization in diachronic perspective

Abstract

Using the example of the text type school program script of the 18th century, the paper examines grammaticalization processes with regard to the development of the future tense with werden and the meaning of modal verbs. The aim is to gain insights into the differentiation of grammaticalization processes and the formation of text type characteristics. The paper is based on the assumption that language history can be understood as the history of text varieties. At the same time, this implies that linguistic features, which can be found in agreement in a multitude of text copies of different text types in the 18th century, do not necessarily represent linguistic features, i. e. formulation patterns, as they are inherent in the developing text types. The aim of the paper is therefore to identify the difference between grammaticalization phenomena and text type characteristics. In doing so, research on the history of language can first be drawn upon in order to interpret individual relevant linguistic phenomena and grammaticalization phenomena in a way that is specific to the text type. For comparison purposes, Vladimir Admoni’s findings on the German language of the 18th century in the field of lliterary and philosophical communication are compared with the field of upbringing and education. In the comparison of two texts, the development of the text type from a tract to the school program script can be examined simultaneously. Furthermore, results are expected which show the common status of grammaticalization processes but, with regard to the text type, also demonstrate specific linguistic formations in the grammatical area of the modality, which was promoted in a context of reflection and reflexivity in the 18th century.

Keywords:

formulation pattern, future, grammaticalization, modality, modal verbs, language history, type of text